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Take the plunge this summer with free swimming lessons at London Fields Lido

Local children and adults will soon be able to learn to swim in the sun at London Fields Lido, with free summer lessons set to take place from 19 to 23 August, and 27 to 30 August for the second-year running.

The classes follow on from the success of free swimming lessons at Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Clapton, which took place from 22 July to 2 August, and saw over 1,300 children and adults learning to swim in a safe, comfortable environment.

The lessons,which are run by leisure operator and charitable social enterprise Better,attracted many local school children who had not previously taken swimming lessons outside school.

Local mother, Tehsin Shaikh, who attended the classes with her five children said: “As a mother of five beautiful health-impaired children all with different personalities, needs and interests, getting out can be quite challenging. On a wet muggy morning we decided to pluck up courage and prompted the children to make use of the free family swimming sessions.

“I was so anxious and immediately informed the swimming teachers none of us knew how to swim. The swimming teacher took my disabled son and spoke so calmly and assisted so well. By the end of our two-hour session, my autistic boys had made new friends, were going under the water, clearly building confidence and taking on-board exactly the advice the teachers were giving.

“Kings Hall clearly have the best of the best staff, the instructors outstanding professionalism, patience with the children, noticeable safety awareness and effective communication between the teachers clearly showed, this has resulted in my children wanting more swim days. We came with some hesitations yet we left gasping for more!”

If you would like to attend the classes at London Fields Lido, they operate on a drop-in basis, and take place from 10am - 12pm on 19 to 23 August, and 27 to 30 August.

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We’re passionate about giving children the opportunity to get active and learn to swim, whether that’s in or out of school, which is why we’re thrilled to have these fantastic free lessons at our leisure centres.

Providing free opportunities for children to learn to swim in a safe, comfortable environment with encouragement and guidance from professional instructors allows them to build up confidence in the water, and encourages them to stay active, while making friends outside of school. We are thrilled with the success of the lessons at Kings Hall, and we look forward to seeing even more people get involved in the upcoming lessons at London Fields Lido.

Cllr Feryal Clark Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for health, social care, leisure and parks